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Monthly Archives: November 2018

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In July, because I make no sense at all, I decided to knock an item off my To Cook list that’s been there since 2010, a golden, bubbling, layered dish of mushrooms, cabbage, thinly sliced potatoes bound with a bechamel sauce and topped with cheese. Talk about beach eats!

But a craving is a craving and I made it with the thought that we could try it, then freeze the rest until that whole December – January zone when the sun sets at approximately 3:32pm and the only way to endure it is to channel some Scandinavian coziness and make it, like, fashion. Candles! Thick sweaters! Tea, a good book, and soft music. Long-cooked winter vegetables snug in a rich casserole.

If you’re planning on a New Year’s resolution to have your cake and eat it, too (aren’t we all), Giada De Laurentiis has a new show on the Food Network that will help inspire you to get in the kitchen and bake a better cake. The show, called Winner Cake All, debuts on Monday, January 7, on Food Network.

Cold fall and winter nights beg the kind of comfort and ease that only a piping-hot casserole can deliver. These are the meals that will satisfy your hunger and warm you from the inside out. From cheesy pasta bakes to flaky pot pies, these are the 25 casseroles that will carry you through all the cold nights ahead.

Chilly winter weather is here, and with it comes the temptation to turn up the heat on our thermostats. Look to your windows instead, and invest in one of these draft-stopping solutions that will help warm up your space, and save you money in the long run.

Here’s a mini-guide of solutions, with pros and cons of everything from layered curtains to shrink-wrap film.

Making cold brew coffee at home comes with its share of challenges. To name a few, not getting the coffee-to-water ratio correct can result in a bitter or flavorless brew, it’s notoriously messy, and requires equipment that some basic kitchens just don’t have, like cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer.

While you technically don’t need a dedicated brewer to make cold brew, the right one can make it a lot easier. We’re already fans of the KitchenAid Cold Brew Coffee Maker, but normally retailing for $100, its an investment. Which is why we were especially thrilled to find that its currently 50% off on Amazon. If you’re wondering why we’d suggest buying a cold coffee maker at the end of November, you’ll be thanking us when the temperatures warm back up. But we know plenty of year-round cold brew drinkers who should be jumping at the opportunity to save on this at-home system.

One caveat: While the deal is still good on Amazon, it’s been so popular that deliveries might not arrive until after Christmas. If you want to start making cold brew now (or want to wrap it up and put under the tree), Jet is offering the exact same deal. It’s on sale at a few other online retailers as well, but those are the lowest prices we were able to find.

Look, I understand that the holidays aren’t always full of cheer. There can be a lot of pressure to deliver the perfect holiday party fare, instead of the same old boring wine and cheese spread you find yourself snacking on every year. You want to impress your judgmental relatives so that they’re all talking about the ingenious appetizers you served before Christmas dinner for years to come.

In theory, these deviled eggs that are supposed to look like Santa Claus might ease that pressure, by showcasing your culinary craftiness. There’s just one problem: They don’t look entirely appetizing (sorry).

As a kid, you probably drank hot cocoa by the gallon. It always seemed like the right time for a cup of hot cocoa, and yet in adulthood I would bet that you don’t drink it too much anymore. What hot cocoa really needs is a grown-up upgrade. Enter: the Dirty Snowman cocktail. It’s basically childhood nostalgia with a boozy twist.

Most of America might be just barely recovered from the latest run on Costco’s most famous dessert — the pumpkin pie that hasn’t changed in 31 years. The 12-inch pie, which weighs four pounds and can feed a crowd, sells in the millions every year. And, of course, we’ve already fallen in love with the three-pound cookie butter cheesecake.

But this year Delish reports that the geniuses behind the warehouse shop’s dessert selections have gone above and beyond: They’re selling four-packs of chocolate fudge lava cakes.

In the realm of drink flavors, Starbucks isn’t known for its subtlety. Think back to the green and purple Witch’s Brew Frappuccino the company unleashed for Halloween to get an idea of what I mean. Even the Peppermint Mocha, my favorite among the Starbucks’ holiday drink lineup, is a bit heavy-handed on the peppermint syrup.

So when Starbucks announced that the juniper latte would be available nationwide this year, I had my reservations. Would it taste like a handful of pine needles blended up with some steamed milk? After trying it for myself, I can honestly say that Starbucks nailed the Christmas-flavored coffee drink this time.

In my opinion, cheesecake is better in miniature form. A dense, rich slice is more than I can handle after a meal — but a muffin cup-sized portion is just right. These mini cheesecakes are ridiculously creamy, and feature that buttery graham cracker crust everyone agrees on. They’re equal parts celebratory and homey, which is really the best kind of dessert.